With Natural Habitat Restored, Rare Moth Is Thriving

In Kent, southeastern England, farmers have restored the chalk grassland habitat home to the endangered and rare black-veined moth, leading to a peak in the number of the winged insects since the project started a decade ago.

“Farmers are leading nature recovery through long-term one-to-one advice and close working to create new wildflower grasslands at scale,” explains Dan Turson, Natural England‘s farm adviser.

To survive, the black-veined moth needs a mosaic of tall tufts of grass and short wildflowers in the same fields. In 2012, Natural England launched a project encouraging farmers to restore fields to their natural form. In this year’s survey, a total of 255 moths were counted, the highest number recorded in 10 years.